A 6-by-30-foot piece of masonry weighing an estimated 15,000 pounds fell from one of the Northfield Plaza buildings at 570 Frontage Road last week, according to Northfield police.

Officials restricted public access to the buildings at 1 and 2 Northfield Plaza after discovering the panel, which had fallen from a third story. The panel was discovered July 29.

"Since that time, we've been working with the building owner to ensure those buildings are safe before allowing them to be occupied," said Steve Gutierrez, community development director for the village.

Gutierrez said the building owners have since hired a structural engineer for retrofitting the panels, particularly since another panel on the same building appears to be buckling.

"They've developed a plan that seems to make sense with regard to retrofitting those concrete panels," he said.

Gutierrez said access to both properties will remain restricted for the foreseeable future.